The
family Psittacidae is one of three families of
true parrots, and consists of two
subfamilies, the
Old World or
Afrotropical parrots of
Psittacinae) and the
New World or Neotropical parrots of
Arinae. The family numbers approximately 10 species in the Old World, and 148 species in the New World, and included several species that have gone extinct in recent centuries. Some of the most iconic birds in the world are represented here, such as the
blue-and-gold macaw among the New World parrots and the
African grey parrot among the Old World parrots. These parrots are found in tropical and subtropical zones and inhabit
Mexico,
Central and
South America, the
Caribbean islands,
sub-Saharan Africa and the island of
Madagascar, and the
Arabian Peninsula. Two parrots, one
extinct, formerly inhabited
North America.